The best bus tours in London with kids

I never tire of walking London’s streets, discovering some of the city’s secrets, but there’s no question that one of the best ways for families to explore is by boarding one of the string of bus tours in London with kids.

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The hop-off hop-off bus routes in London are a great way to get around – the open-top bus is always a hit with my daughter, and it’s handy for getting to A to B while you sightsee, if you fancy a break from the tube.

But you’ll also find themed tours, including fun options for teens and toddlers, and can even combine a trip with afternoon tea. If you’re not sure where to start, I’ve picked out the best London bus tours with kids, plus some of the best ways to find a discount.

For more ideas on how to save money on days out in London with kids, check out my top tips

TOOTBus London Hop On Hop Off Tour

With more freedom and flexibility than non-stop bus tours (ideal with kids), there are two main options if you want a hop-on hop-off tour of London.

TOOTBus is one of the best bus tours in London with kids, with a fleet of open top buses making 35 stops across two jam-packed routes, plus an app for real-time bus information and details of nearby stops – scroll down for details of their other family-friendly tours too.

The Yellow Route takes you around the West End and along the River Thames to the City of London and Tower Bridge. The Blue Route also covers the landmarks of the West End in central London before travelling further west to South Kensington, Hyde Park, Notting Hill and Paddington.

Audio guide commentary is available onboard, plus there’s a channel just for children which is specially designed to capture their attention throughout the journey.

You can also exchange your Tesco Clubcard points for TOOTBus vouchers to book your London tour with kids.

London bus tour + Thames river cruise

You can choose either a one, two or three-day option for the Must-See London tour ticket, which also includes a Thames river cruise. A 24-hour ticket costs £42 for adults and £24 for children (5-15) if you buy online in advance. Tickets are valid for 12 months.

Under 5’s travel for free and are recommended to sit on an adult’s lap. You can bring buggies on board but are asked to keep them with you – if the bus isn’t busy, you should be able to store them downstairs, but may need to be able to fold them.

London Discovery hop on hop off tour

Or the London Discovery ticket is cheaper at £35/£20 but the River Thames sightseeing cruise is not included – if you’re looking purely for the hop-on hop-off bus tour of London with kids, go for this one.

There’s also a great 60-minute Christmas lights tour during November and December (and the first few days of January) as well as a 90-minute London by Night tour which departs at 7pm, if you fancy seeing the city all lit up on an evening tour.

Big Bus Hop-On Hop-Off Tour

The other main option for hop-on hop-off bus tours of London, Big Bus’s Hop-On Hop-Off Tour has open-top sightseeing buses that run regularly throughout the day and let you jump on and off at any of their 37 stops around the capital, and include a river cruise along the Thames.

The tours also feature pre-recorded commentary so you can learn more about the sites you see along the way, with tickets allowing you to try both of the company’s three London sightseeing routes.

The Red Route takes you around London’s most iconic landmarks, from Buckingham Palace and the Houses of Parliament in the west to St Paul’s Cathedral and the Tower of London in the east.

Buses run around every 20 minutes – download the app to get live bus times – and allow around two and a half hours for the full route (depending on traffic).

The Blue Route takes you to explore London’s West End, with stops including Marble Arch, Harrods, Kensington Palace and Notting Hill, and takes around 90 minutes, while the Green Link route runs between Waterloo and Kings Cross.

Book tickets with free cancellation, find special offers on Big Bus Tours if you book in advance, or keep an eye out for deals on sites such as Wowcher for some huge Big Bus discounts, which can make them a lot cheaper than the competition.

London bus tour + Thames river cruise

Their classic 24-hour ticket including a river cruise costs £31.50 for adults and £22.50 for children between 5-15. Under 5’s travel for free. Family tickets are also available (2 adults & 2 children), along with tickets including extra perks such as a night tour.

London bus tour + attraction entry

Or check out the Big City Saver ticket if you’re planning to visit London’s Merlin attactions, with options including the Big Bus Tour and London Eye entry (for standard entry, if you want London Eye fast track entry, you’ll need to book that separately).

For more hop-on hop-off bus tours of London, check out City Sightseeing and Golden Tours

TOOTBus Kids Tour

Tootbus is also one of the few tour companies in the capital that runs a dedicated London kids bus tour, aimed specifically at younger children.

The Tootbus Kids Tour is a short 45-minute tour that takes you around the sites of London’s West End.

From the top of the double decker bus, you get amazing views of famous attractions such as Big Ben, the London Eye, Piccadilly Circus and more. An enthusiastic guide provides live guided commentary for children, packed with interesting facts and fun stories.

Kids tours run at 2pm every Friday, Saturday and Sunday throughout the year and daily during school holidays, plus there are sometimes special Christmas kids tours in December, for a fun festive family day out in London.

Tickets cost £20 for adults and children, and kids under 4 go free.

Peppa Pig Afternoon Tea Bus Tour

Brigit’s Bakery is well-known in London for its themed afternoon tea bus tours, which include seasonal menus including spooky Halloween teas and festive Christmas teas.

But for younger kids, the big hit is the Peppa Pig themed afternoon tea bus tour for kids, aimed at children aged two and up.

Along with the colourful interiors, you’ll find special tablets on each table that provide a Peppa Pig guided animation of the London tour, plus themed sweet and savoury treats, and an activity book for little ones to take home with them.

The bus also has a children’s toilet (not available on their other tours) in case of any emergencies. For slightly older kids, there’s also a Paddington Afternoon tea bus tour, aimed at age 5+.

Check out this mini-guide to Paddington’s London for more places to find the much-loved bear from Darkest Peru

While you enjoy your afternoon tea, Brigit’s Bakery vintage Routemaster bus takes you on a 90-minute journey around the capital’s most famous landmarks. Tours run from Thursday to Sunday each week.

Harry Potter Bus Tour

Harry Potter fans both old and young are sure to love the Wizards London Bus Tour. You’ll spend a little over three hours travelling around London’s top Harry Potter destinations, including filming locations from the movies and the muggle sites that inspired JK Rowling’s original books.

The Wizard Bus Tour takes you past magical locations such as the inspiration for 12 Grimmauld Place, the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron, Gringotts Wizarding Bank and more.

There are also several photo stops, including Kings Cross Station where you can take the iconic photo pushing a trolley through the wall at Platform 9 ¾.

Tours run on Sundays throughout the year and on Wednesdays during school holidays. If you’re travelling to London by train with National Rail, you can grab 2for1 tickets for the bus tour via the Days Out Scheme.

For more Harry Potter locations in London, check out my top picks for fans to visit, including guided walking tours

Ghost Bus Tour

Older children and teens can enjoy hearing dark tales from London’s past on this Ghost Bus Tour, the UK’s only comedy-horror theatre sightseeing experience on wheels.

On the 75-minute London bus tour, you’ll visit the city’s most famous attractions and hear stories of murders and hauntings that most other tours miss out on. So whether you’re a local or just visiting the capital, you’re guaranteed to learn something new. 

You’ll be guided by a live ‘conductor’, and a few mystery guests along the way, who are there to make sure the interactive tour is a fun, spooky, and memorable experience for all the family.

The tour departs from a bus stop on Northumberland Avenue at 19:30 and 21:00 each evening – suitable for children 5+, although realistically this one’s better with older kids.

Check out my review of the Ghost Bus Tour of London – with kids, or without

Vintage London Bus tour

If you’ve got your heart set on travelling on one of the classic London Routemaster buses – the traditional red double-decker buses which are so iconic – you’ll need to book a special Vintage London Bus tour.

The route is designed to start in central London, boarding at Victoria and passing some of the city’s iconic attractions including Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey and the Tower of London, before letting you join a sightseeing cruise on the River Thames.

After eyeing up more of the city’s sights from the water, you board the bus once more and drive towards Buckingham Palace (although buses can’t go close to the monarch’s residence, you can hop off to take photos). The tour has five stops and you can get on and off at any of these.

You can also upgrade your ticket to get entry to the London Eye and even to add a tour to Stonehenge on to a morning tour. Tickets cost from £52 for adults.

Create your own London bus tour with kids

If you’re looking to save money on a family holiday in London, the cheapest bus tour in London with kids is a DIY option.

Taking a ride on a iconic red double-decker bus is always a favourite with kids, but you can use the regular Transport for London routes to see the sights as well if you choose your route carefully.

Bus travel is free for kids under 11 (age 11-15 need a Zip Oyster card to get the free rides, otherwise there’s 50% off if you add the Young Visitor Discount to a standard Oyster card), and single Hopper fares for parents are £1.75 with unlimited journeys within one hour of touching in with your Oyster pass or contactless card – you can’t buy a bus ticket when you board.

Route 15

Head up to the top deck of Route 15 and you’ll pass the Tower of London, St Paul’s Cathedral and Trafalgar Square. On bank holidays and at weekends from late March to the end of September, you might even find the classic Routemaster buses running.

Route 26

Route 26 is another great option, travelling from Victoria to Horseguards Parade via Westminster Abbey, then on to Trafalgar Square and St Paul’s (the old Route 11 has changed so no longer stops here).

Route 9

If you’re travelling to the South Kensington museums, route 9 goes from Trafalgar Square past Picadilly Circus, Hyde Park, Knightsbridge and Kensington Palace.

Check out my tips for using the London Underground with kids here

PIN FOR LATER: THE BEST BUS TOURS IN LONDON WITH KIDS

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links – any purchases you make are unaffected but I may receive a small commission

Images courtesy of Depositphotos

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